Method of charging storage batteries.



D. H. WILSON.

METHOD OP GHARGING'STORAGE BATTERIES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 1912.

Patented @11.26.1915.

.Iliff/1112714 ing batteries; a great increase in the dura-` UNITED STATES PATENT orrroa.

DAVID H. WILSON, OE' IlfIIKrElIOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR '.10O WILSON STORAGE BATTERY COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

To all 'whomz't may concern: Y

Be it knownthat I, DAVID H. WILSON, a.' citizen of the United States, residing at Ridgewood, in the county of 'Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods ofCharging Storage Batteries, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is tol reduce the time. required to charge storage batteries having low resistance leading-in Wires in their plates so that they are capable of receiving a heavy amperage ofcurren't without injury.

lt consists further of a method of charg ing which avoids the steady consumption of lead or Plante battery plates by eliminating the forming action, that is, the continual and progressive transformation of the lead of a plate-into active material lwhich is incident to charging with the ordinary currents' of small volume. This forming ac tionV slowly eats upthe plate and deposits mud, more particularly from the positive side, in the bottom of the cell.

My method is only applicable te plates having such low resistance leading-in path- Y ways for the current that the excessive heat-v ing and burning up of the plates which would `otherwise result from such heavy charging, is avoided.

Among theresults of my new method are the great reduction in the costof a charging plant and its operation in proportion to the work done; a great increase in speed of storbility of batteries; an'even` distribution of the charge over the ribs of the'battery plates and into the inner most crevices and corners between the ribs; a great reduction in shedding; and a great increase in battery efficiency. Y f

Heretofore it has been the custom to charge a battery having positive plates 9-X10X17 lbs., and negative 4plates 9X10X11 lbs., 20 odd in number, with a current starting at amperes and then reduced to 25 amperes until the charging was completed. 4The amperage was further slightly tapered by the increasing couvnter electromotive force of thebattery. lI find that it is possible to increase the charging A current for such batteries to as much as 200 amperes for a short period of time 'and then f Specication of Letters Patent.

Vthe charging machine.

METHOD OF CHARGING STORAGE BATTERIES.

Patented Jan. 2e, 1915.

Application led July 17, 1912. Serial No. 709,881.

reduce the charge rapidly at first and then more slowly, so that the charging current approximates the curve of maximum charging current -whichthe batteries may be capable of receiving without substantial in# jury. When the same batteries are provided with my leading-inI conductors or low resistance pathways the current may be jumped f to an initial amperage of 1500, it may then p' last 2O minutes and the 200 ampere period may last 4l0 minut-es; thus making one and three quarter hours for a full'charge. lf the battery is not entirely discharged the charging current may start in at a point c'orresponding with the degree ofcharge required.

ln the drawings; .Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section of a 'group of battery `plates suitable for my method of charging.

Fig. 2'is a section thereof upon the line B-B Fig. -1. Fig. 3 is a view of another group of battery plates for the same battery, i

adapted to be connected to the other pole of Fig. 4 is a section thereof on line A-A Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a dagram of the charging circuits. Fig. 6 is a Adiagram of the possible current charge showing its variations.

The battery shown in Fig. lhas a copper bus bar 1 connected with copper distributing bars 2 which may form the low resistance leading in pathways `for conducting a heavy current into the interiors of the plates of the battery. The distributing bars furi nish a large area of contact between the copper and the lead so that the leadmay receive a heavy charging current without heating. They may for convenienceA pass 'through the plates nearly to the bottom. The distributing bars are united to the bus.

bars directly, preferably by brazing, so

that the heavy current may pass from one to the other Without heating the joints. Any other construction peru'iitting the introduction of anon forming current into the plates may be employed.

In Fig. 2 the distributing bars are indi-- cated by brokenI lines. A bus bar 4 and distributing bars 5 are shown in connection with'the plates 6 shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

l In Fig. 5 is shown a system of circuits and apparatus by means of which my method j may be put into effect. The machine is connected by conductors 8 and 9 to the bus bars 1 and 4 respectively; and a switch 10 to open and close the charging circuit. The switch S is preferably a rheostat capable of'vary- My method may be employed with a D. C.

feeder system run into a garage, for example, for charging vehicles. When so used various modifications of the apparatus shown may be made to suit its application. The same high initial charge with the rapid tapering of the charge are preferably emj ployed in this application.

The distributing and bus bars are covered with leador such suitable sheathing 7h as will protect them .from the electrolyte. The sheathing7a on the distributing bars is so applied as to form a close union with 'the copper,andis preferably applied by squirting, that is, the copper is passed through a bath of molten lead, and is led out of thel bath through a die in' which the lead surrounding the copper is chilled and solidified. y

Hydraulic pressure renders the lead nonporous and hard, thus eifectually protecting the copper from the acid of the battery.

The distributing bars and the bus bars may) be united by brazing or by drive fits, and the joints lcovered with burned lead. The lead of the plates may beJ joined to the sheathing ofthe distributing bars by being burnedthereto, or in any other suitable manner.

The battery plates-are connected up Aas l :shown in Fig). 5,the distributing bars 2 of united to the b us bar 1,

the plates 3 ing bars 5 of the plates 6 andthe distributing `bein unitedy to the bus bar 4; In this 'way the 'stributingbars of the alternate plates are staggered. It has been found in practice that if the distributing bars lie opposite to each other, a heavy charge sets up a lo- 1 ,calized action and the lateral extremities :of the plates farthest from the distributing plates areA less evenly charged, thus setting up undue stresses and extreme-buckling.

. In order to prevent too great amperage and 25. The coils 22 arepermanently in to introduce t e resistances 16 and 17 into from being delivered to the battery at the beginning of a charge a regulator is employed. It consists of a coil 11 in the `main circuit, and a shunt coil 12 adapted toattract an armature 13 so as to open the circuit at contact 14. The spring 15 is adjusted to counteract the pull of the coil 12 so long as the current flowing through the main circuit is not too great for my method. 1 When, however, the current exceeds the maximum allowed, more of the current is passed through the coil 12, overpowering the spring 15, opening the circuit at contact 14. This has the eiect'of introducing into the main 'circuit' the resistances 16 and 17, or as many more as may be desired, there being a contact 19 and armature 18 ',for every such resistance. Each armature 18 is operated by a double wound magnet having alcoil 22 circuit with the charging machine in a shunt. 'lhe coils 25 are in the circuit containing the contact'14.

-The coils 22 and 25 neutralize each other normally and the 'armatures 18 are not attracted, so that the closed contacts 19 close short circuits around the resistances 16 and 17. When, however, the circuit is opened at contact 14 as described, the coils 25 be come dead, and the coils 22 operatethe arm-l atures 18 to o en the circuits at contacts 19 the shunt circuit. They have the effect of reducin the flow of-current in the shunt l field coil D1 which in turn reduces the 100 amperage output of the char ing machine. When the amperage falls to t e established maximum thespring 15 overpowers the coil 12, the contact 14 is closed,the coils25 instantly neutralize the coils 22, the armatures 18 enga e the contacts 19, and the re'` sistances are s ort-circuited.

In circuit with the coils 22 and 25 is a resistance 21 to adjust the ow of current through the shunt containing the coils 22 and 25 to the proper'amount.

The condeusers 26 are bridged across the contacts 19 to prevent injury to them.

In place of the resistances 16 and 17 any other devices may be used, as long as the maximum current delivered to the battery is held down to the desired amount.

The range of current useful with the best form of m method may be defined as that which on t e one hand will not injure a. battery having low resistance leadin -in pathwa s in the high resistance p etes, and which on the other hand will injure or destroy, other conditions being e ual, plates not so equipped It is appllcab e to platem of the Plante or Faure type..

The apparatus shown 1s but one form of many by means of which my method of charging may be effected.

The great value of my method is apparent 180 from the fact that a plant which has a great many batteries to keep charged and only a limited time, can charge a great many bat.- teries in multiple at the rapid high rate by placing a number of rheostats in a feed system or, for very large batteries, a special machine which will charge one battery at a time. Thus the interest cost on the charging plant, and the labor are greatly reduced. Ithas alsobeen foundthat batteries charged with my methodane more durable, due to the/fact that the charging current acts upon the inmost corners of the spaces between ribs on the plates, thereby firmly uniting the` ribs tothe bodies of the plates.l Sheddmg is, therefore, minimized, and plates are from two to four times as durable, other condi tions being equal.

- user of the batteries, in getting them The advantage to the ing 1n :accordance with the Steppe line D4 of1which the distance from the base line D3 indicates the amperage, and the lines parallel to Ds indicate the time ofthe charge.

This invention is generic with respect to my Vsubsequent invention described in'v my applicationl #623,053, filed April 24th 1914. l .What I claim isz' 1. The method of charging storage batteries having lead plates providedwith low resistance leading-1n pa Ways to conduct the current to the plate surfaces, which cony' sists of applying a charging current thereto y of such proportions as would destroy the efiiciency of plates having Vno such pathways but which will preserve the eiiiciency of plates provided with such patlfways, other conditions being equal.

2. The imethod of charging -storage batteries having lead plates provided with vlowl resistance leading-in pathways to lead the current tothe plate surfaces which consists of applying a charging current thereto ofl such pro ortions as would destroy the eiiiciency o plates having no such pathways,

other conditions being equal, but which will preserve their eiciencly7 when provided with such pathways, said c arging current being reduced by stages.

3. The method of charging storage battery having .lead plates rovided with low resistance leading-in pat ways to lead the current to the plate surfaces which `consists vof applying a charging current thereto of such proportions as would destroy the eiiiciency of plates having no suchnpathways, -other conditions being equal, but which will preserve. their eicie'nc when provided lwith such pathways, said c aging-,current being reduced byjstages. to follow approximately a predetermined curve.

, In testimon whereof I aiix my signature in presence o 'two witnesses.

DAVID H. wILsoN.

' Witnesses:

' 'A. L. TRAVIS,

MYRON F. Him.. A 

